Machine for opening tins of canned goods



Dec. 2., 1930. E. DARQUE MACHINE FOR OPENING TINS OF' CANNED GOODS Filed May 21,'1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 2, 1930. Y E. DARQUE 1,783,534

y MACHINE FOR OPENING TINS OF CANNED GOODS Filed May l21. 192s s sheets-sheet 2 Fg'g. 12's Etica/76D r E ffy/engr?! Dec. 2, 1930. l E. DARQUE 14,783,534

MACHINE FOR OPENING TINS 0F CANNE!) GOODS Filed lay 21. 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 tingpoint.

Patented Dec. 2, 1930 ETIENNE DARQU, F CLICHY, FRANCE MACHINE FQR OPENING TENS 0F CANNE'D GOODS Application led Hay 21, 1928, Serial Ro. 279,312, and in France June 11, 1927.

The subject of the present invention is a machine for opening tins of canned goods, set and counter-soldered, ofround, oval, square or irregular shape.

This machine comprises two milled wheels between which the edge ofthe tin is held, one of which wheels is ixed to a circular cutting device. Y v

In machines existing to the present, the two milled wheels are -tted to axles that are parallel, taking up a Yposition perpendicular to the bottom of the tin whilst it is being opened. The circular cutting device then cuts the edge of the tin under the'bottom. As a result, if

` the tin contains a liquid`,'part of it runs out while the tinis being opened. Moreover, inside the' tin a lip is made thatl is liable to hinder the exit of the tins contents and to spoil the latter. Finally, with such machines, 1

the tin has to beheld during the opening operation.

The machine established according to the,

-. tween the milled wheels and released therefrom, automatically. Y

One of its features is the fact that one o the milled wheels is arranged in such a way that it forms a support for thesoldered rim of the tin which is kept tight against that milled wheel by the other similar Wheel in an overhead position, in such a waythat the'rotation of one of the milled wheels Vcauses the tin, -which is suspended between the milled wheels by its rim, to revolve on its own axis. The circular cutting device, on which the upper milled wheel is fixed, cuts into the bottom of the tin at the very edge of the rim by which the tin is held suspended. Y

In practice, the lower milled wheel is fitted `on a horizontal actuated shaft and the upper milled wheel is fitted to another shaft that.

orms an acute the other shaft A To obtain a cut without any lip in the case of all tins, the cutting device is hallowed out in such a way that its exterior surface can be at once at a tangent with the edge of the tin and Y perpendicular to the angle for instance) with bottom at the out' Another feature of, the machine established according to the present invention is a mechanism -which causes the lower milled wheel to rise and consequently causes the edge of the tin to be held tight when the actuating shaft is turned in a given direc tion; on the other hand the lower milled Wheel descends and leaves the edge of the tin when the same shaft'is made to revolve in 'an opposite direction.

The adjoining drawing shows, for indica.- tion purposes, one of the ways in which the subject of the invention can be established.

F ig. 1 is a general view, of a section along a plane which passes through the axes of the milled wheels.

Fig. l bis is a. horizontal section of the foregoing, along a-'Z). Y

Figs. 2, 3 and 4, like Fig. l, show the principal parts of the machine during the dier- Y ent phases of its operation.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 show the aspect of the tightening and releasing mechanism which operates automatically on the edge of the tin. for those same phases.

Fig. 8 shows another way in which the subject of the invention can be established. The parts of the machine are held in place by a framework intended to be tixed'to a.

table. .J Y Y Room is provided in the upper portion of lthe framework, for a. lever 2-to move about a horizontal-shaft 3 (Fig. 1 bis)- The end. of the lever 2 forms a bearing 'or a. shat 4 parallel to shaft 3 which on the one hand isV used for the actuating handle 5, and on the other hand for the lower milled Wheel 6. The milled wheel 6 is cone-cut so as'to oier a sharp edge towards its outer It is ribbed on its contour.

Behind the milled wheel 6, the shaft et carries twocircular cams, 7 and 8, the first being iixed and the other ree. Cam 8 has a diameter that exceeds that of tlv` other cam 7 by a few millimeters. At a. point rn theirA periphery these two cams haare a piece cut away in the form of an arc of a circle forming a re'ce for part of a lower friction roller l9, fixed toa horizontal axis 9a carried by a slide 9b guided vertically in the framework icc and pushed towards the cams by a. spring 10. In the case of the cam 7, one of the edges of the cut-away portion joins up to the circular profile of the cam by a curved surface.

Ihe cam 8 is perforated with a curved opening 11, concentric to the shaft 4 and cam 7 .carries a stud 12 which fits into that open- 1ng. rI`he opening 11 on cam 8 forms an arc of a clrcle that is about 5 bigger than the one` corresponding to the hollow part on cam 7.

C ams 7 and 8 are maintained applied against the friction roller 9 by means of an upper spring, 13. The latter acts on the lever 2 through a button 14 which slides in the recess of the spring 13, the same recess that houses the Aspring 13, said recess being closed at its upper end by a cap screw 13a.

Set 1n angular relation to the shaft 4 is a shaft 15 which carries the upper. milled wheel 16, the latter being provided with cogs on 1ts periphery. This shaft 15 is inclined at an angle of 45o on the shaft 4. It turns freely 1n a bore of the framework 1. l f

In addition to the milled wheel 16, the shaft 15 carries, behind the wheel, a disc 16a of greater diameter than the wheel and in front of it, the rotary cutting device, 17. This device is of hollowed out cone-cut shape wlth a sharp edge. The inclination of the exterior surface of the cutting-device 17 on its axis is such that the lower portion of said surface is verticallyV disposed when coming above the milled wheel 6.

Operation l The tin A, to be opened, is taken in the left hand. The under part of its setting edge 1s pressed on the sharp edge of the milled wheel 6 (Fig. 2). With the right hand turn the handle 5 clockwise. The shaft 4, the cam 7 and the milled wheel 6 turn at the same time. The curved portion of the cam 7 comes into contact with the friction-roller 9 and the said cam rises on that friction-roller causing the lever 2 to pivottowards the top in such a'way as to cause the milledwheel 6 to rise with the tin pressed against the sharp edge of the milled wheel 6.

In that ascending movement, the cuttingdevice 17 takes up a position on the inside and against the edge of the hollow formed by the setting of the tin (Fig. l

Continuing to turn the handle 5, the cam 7 continues to make the tin rise and the bottom i(sFpierced4 by the circular 'cutting-device 17 1g. curved part is reached and the frictionroller 9 is in contact,.with the circular portion of 7. The pressure made on the frictionroller 9 by the spring 10 and that pressure which the roller imparts to the milled wheel 6 causes the ribs of the-latter to come up hard against the set edge of the tin, which edge is held on top by the milled wheel 16which,1n its 4). Finally, the eXtreme edge of the` turn, forces its ribs into the upper part of the said edge. The latter finds itself caught and held tight between 6, 17, 16 and 16a, it is obliged to follow the impulsion given to it by the rotation of the milled wheel 6 and moreover it will be used as medium to produce the rotation of the circular cutting device 17 since the propulsion of the milled wheel 16 is produced by the penetration of its ribs into the upper part of the ed e of the tin.

By continuing to turn the hand e 5, the cutting-device 17 cuts the vsoldered bottom at the very edge, without leaving any lip thus enabling the contents of the tin to be removed without injury.

But whenthe hollow formed by the curved edge of the cam 7 again comes opposite the friction roller 9, the milled Wheel 6 would drop a distance equal to the hollow of the cam if nothing stopped it. In that case there would be produced'a break in the cutting of the tin and it is now that the cam 8 comes into play to allow of a continuous cutting movement.

At the beglnningof the operation, to say when the machineis at rest, the position of the cam 7 in relation to 8 is that shown in Fig. 5. When a rotation is given to the handle 5 to open a tin, the cam 7 alone is displaced and it causes the milled wheel 6 t0 rise as indicated previously. During that time the cam 8 has remained in the rear, held back, owing to its larger diameter, by the friction-roller 9 (Fig. 6). This restraint continues until the stud 12 on the cam 7comes up against the extremity of the aperture 11 in the cam 8 and drags the cam along by force.

At that moment the curved portion and the hollow of the cam 7 are covered by a circular portion of the camv 8in such a way that 7 and 8 form a cylinder 'which rolls on the friction roller 9, maintains the shaft 4 inits uppermost position and ensures cutting of the soldered bottom without any interruption no matter the number of turns given to the handle before the entire bottom is cut.

To loosen the edge of the tin it is merely necessary to turn the handle 5 in an' opposite direction counter-clockwise. --In that case, as at the beginning of the operation, only the cam 7 enters into movement. 'Owing to its larger diameter, the cam 8 isheld in check by 9 and only joins the movement of the cam 7 when the stud on the latter cornes up against the other end of the aperture 11 of the cam 8 to drag it along by force.

At that moment the profiles of the cams 7 and 8 come together and forma hollow in such a way that a moment arrives, the hollow being opposite the friction-roller 9, when the shaft 4 and the milled vWheel 6 descend at the same time releasing the edge of the tin,

that isv thanks to, the thrust exerted .by thegspring` v pressed button 14 on the leverl 2.

The shape and inclination given tothe' exi' ables it to follow the contour of bottoms of Y tins of all shapes. The flexible fitting of the slide 9b carrying the friction roller 9 has the effect of making the pressure of the milled wheel 6 flexible under the soldered edge of the tinV and in that way to compensate any inequalities that might be due to countersoldering or differences in the width of the setting.

Adescription will now be given of a modified construction of machine embodying the invention which is directed to the improvement of the mechanism, so as to render assembling thereat more simple and rapid, and to decrease the cost of the construction.

This construction shown in Fig. 8 is seen to comprise the solid circular cutting-device 18 which is screwed on to the part 19 with the washer 20 between the two. The washer is milled on its periphery in such away that it gears, so to speak, with the tin to be opened, ensuring a better operation of the cutting device. Instead of being milled, the said washer can be cogged. These parts are held by a screw 21 that is threaded into the framework 1 of the machine. rl`his screw is provided with a shoulder 22, which is adapted to retain the Washer 23 tight against the framework 1 the threaded frame work 1 acting as a vnut for the screw 21. The ensemble of the cutting-device 18, the washer 2O and the piece 19, forms a unit which isheld tightly so that it revolves on the screw 21 as axis, the piece 19 bearing with light friction contact on the washer 23.

The handle is preferably made integral with the shaft 24; said shaft is then inserted in position by fitting it into the framework' from the handle side. A shoulder 25 retains the shaft 24 in place. Said shaft also carries the cams 8 and 7, the cam 7 being positioned between the cam 8 and the part 26 which terminates the shaft 24.

The tension of the spring 10 is made adjustable by extending its housing recess to the lower portion of the framework l; this recess is tapped as at 27 for a portion of its length, engaging with a screw 28. The screw 28 is threaded for a portion of its length and forms a bearing-block of the lower endV of the spring 10. If desired a spacer part 29 may be interposed between the screw 28 and the lower end of spring 10. The tension of the said spring 10 isv adjusted by screwing or unscrewing thescrew 28 more or less.

It will thus be seen that lthere is provided devices in which theseveralv objects of this invention are achieved and which are well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use. Y

As various possible embodiments might be made ofthe above invention, andas various changes might be madeinV the embodiment. above set forth, it is to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

That I claim is:

l. In a can-opening machine, a first rotatable gripping roller, a second rotatable gripping roller resiliently mounted, said first and second rollers being adapted to coact with one another so as to grip the edge of a can,

' cutting means positioned adjacent one of said rollers and adapted to cut into the surface of a A can held between said rollers, said cutting means and Vrollers having a fixed relative po` sition laterally of each other and means for rotating one of `said rollers.

2. In a can-opening machine, a shaft journalled in a fixed bearing, cutting means mounted on said shaft, and resiliently supported means operative to move a can surface into contact with said cutting moans and to displace said can surface relatively to said cutting means, said cutting and resilient-V ly supported means having a fixed relative position laterally 'of each other. Y

3. In a can-opening machine, a first shaft, cutting means mounted on said shaft, a first gripping roller mounted on said shaft, a .fecond shaft, a second gripping roller mounted on said second shaft, said first and second rollers being positioned so as to grip the edge of a can when moved towards one another,

means for resiliently moving said rollers to wards one another, and means for rotating Said second shaft, said roller moving means and shaft rotating means being interconnected for simultaneous actuation.

4. In a can-opening machine, a first shaft, cutting means mounted on said shaft, a first gripping roller mounted on said shaft, a second shaft, yieldable means for mounting said second shaft, a second gripping roller mounted on said second shaft, said first and second rollers being positioned so as to grip the edge of a can and move a can surface into contact with said cutting means when the two rollers are moved towards one another, and

means operativeby rotation of said second f shaft for controlling said yieldable mount-- ing means to move said rollers towards one another. y

5. In a can-opening machine, a fixed frame, a first shaft mounted on said frame, cutting means and a first gripping roller mounted on said shaft, a second shaft positioned so that its axis forms an angle with the axis of the first shaft, a secondl gripping roller mounted on said second shaft,\a resilient mounting for said second shaft said first and second rollers and said cutting means being positioned so that the rollers may grip a can and move one ofthe surfaces thereof into contact with the cutting means when said rollers are displaced towards one another, and means operative by rotation of the second shaft for controlling said shaft mounting to `move said rollers towards one vers and for gripping said bead during the another. cuttin of said closure. 6. In a'can-opening machine, a first shaft, 10. n a can-opening machine, a pair 0f cutting means and a first gripping roller rollers mounted for rotation on axes extendv@mounted on said shaft, a second shaft, a secing in angular relation to each other'y andv 70 ond gripping roller mounted on the second adapted to releasably grip a bead of a fiat end shaft, said rollers and cutting means being closure of acan between them, arotar means positioned so that the rollers may grip the supported adjacent one of said rol ers for edge of a can and move one of the surfaces cutting the flat end closure, means for rom thereof towards the cutting means when the tating the other roller, and a pair of spring 75 rollers are moved towards one another, means Vpressed members actuated by said last menoperative by the rotation of said second shaft tioned means for controlling the releasing in a predetermined direction to move the and gripping action of said rollers. rollers towards one another and into pos- 11. In a can opening machine, a pair of tion for exerting a gripping action on the rollers mounted for rotation on shafts ex- 80 edge of a can, and resilient means operative tending in angular relation to each and adapton said lever bearing to maintain said rollers ed to releasably grip a bead of a flat end cloin gripping position as long as said second sure of a can between them, one of said shafts y shaft is rotated in said predetermined direcbeing relatively fixed, means carried by said tion. fixed shaft for cutting the flat end closure, g5 i 7. In a can-opening machine, a f irst Shaft, a lever bearing for journallin the other of cutting means and a first gripplng 191161 said shafts, and spring pres e means coactmounted on said shaft, a second shaft ]0 111 ing with said bearing controlling the releasnalled on a lever bearing, a second gr1pp11-1g ing and gripping action of said rollers, said y2li IOllel IHOUIIB. 011 Said SeCOIld Shaflh Sald rollers and cutter having a, fixed relative p0'- go rollers and cutting means being positloned Sition 1atera11yy of each other, so that the rollers may grip the edge of a Can 12. In 'a can opening machine, a frame, a and move one surface thereof into contact pair of shafts supported by the frame in anwith the cutting means'when the rollersale gular relation, a roller mounted on each in 430 moved towards one another, and resilient cooperative relation adapted to releasably 95 means controlling said lever bearing and op grip a, bead 0f a flat end Closure 0f a @an beerative by the rotation of said second shaft tween them, means for cutting the flat end in one direction to move the .rollers towards closure carried by one of said shafts, a lever one another', said means operative by rotabearing for journalling the other of said tion of said second shaft in the opposlte d1reC- shafts and opposing resilient means intercon- 100 tion to permit said rollers to move away frOm necting the bearing with the frame for conone another. Y trolling the releasing and gripping action of 8. In acan-,opening machine, afixed frame, said roller, said rollers and cutter having a a first shaft mounted on said frame, Cuttlng fixed relative position laterally of each other. 40 means and afii'st gripping roller mounted on Signed ai; Clichy7 this 2nd day of May, 105

vsaid shaft, a second shaft, a cam rigidly con- 1928, nected to said second shaft, a pin rigidly 'con- ETIENNE DARQU. nected to said cam, a cam loosely mounted on said second shaft, said last-named cam having a groove formed therein positioned so `110 as to coact with said pin and being of slightly greater maximum diameter than said firstl named cam, a second gripping roller mounted on said second shaft, a cam roller positioned to contact with said earns, and means for ro- 115 tating said second shaft. `9. In a can opening machine, a'pair of rollers mounted for rotation on axes extending in angular relation to each other and adapted to releasably grip a bead of a flat end 12o closure of a can between them, one of said rollers having a wedge-shaped peripherial edge formed to engage under the closure bead, a yielding support for said wedging 5 roller, 'a rotary means supported adjacent the 125 other of said rollers for cutting the fiat end closure, means for rotating said wedging roller,`and means actuated selectively by the last mentioned means `for releasin ysaid clo- 55 sure bead from gripping action o said roll- .130 

